Losing weight can be a fickle beast. After all, if it was so easy, wouldn't we be seeing everyone walking around flaunting a long, lean figure? The reality is very different. The key factor that most women overlook when choosing a weight loss diet is calorie consumption. If you're still eating more than your body metabolically requires to function, you aren't going to lose weight. Simple. To add further confusion to the mix, it's not just about calories, either. Sure, they're important but the source of the calories is equally important. New documentaries are showing that different foods are metabolized differently by the body and can in some cases negate the effects of exercise.
Too many women think you can outdo a bad diet with high levels of exercise, but unfortunately it's just not the case. Sure, you can lose weight with this approach, but if you really want the best results you need to provide your body with the right ingredients for the job. Losing fat is actually pretty simple, people just seem to get bogged-down in the details. Forget everything you thought you knew about fat loss and just follow these 10 simple steps.
IT'S ALL ABOUT THE CALORIES: You've probably heard advice like 'don't eat before bed' and 'make sure you eat every couple of hours' being tossed around forums and sites. There's nothing strictly wrong with these tips, but they tend to distract people away from the actual problem - total calorie intake. It may not best the healthiest approach, but if you ate your total calorie intake (calculated for weight loss) in one sitting, you would still lose weight despite not spreading your meals out or eating consistently through the day. The take home message here is make sure you are eating the correct number of calories based on your individual requirements before making adjustments. Use an online calorie tracker like myfitnesspal to make things easier.
THE PROBLEM WITH SUGAR: This is a biggie. I'm not going to spend time explaining what it is and where you find it - you already know that. I'm here to tell you that sugar is quite possibly the #1 reason why you're reading this article. Too much can seriously damage your body's ability to produce insulin and can contribute to massive fat gain. And the scary part is most people don't even know how much they're getting. It's not just the obvious choices either, like donuts and candy. It's hidden in things like yoghurt, tomato sauce and fruit drinks! My solution? Eat more 'real' whole foods. Stuff that grows in the ground and is found in nature. If you eat more of these raw foods, you won't need to worry (as much) about these hidden sugar-shockers.
THE POWER OF PROTEIN: OK, as we mentioned above, sugar is one of the main super-villains of the fat loss world. However, with every villain comes a superhero, one who fights against evil and restores truth and good in the world. Think of protein as your superhero in food form. If you've been paying attention to the newest (and not-so new) diets, you'll notice a common theme. The Paleo diet, the Atkins diet, the list goes on, they all advocate eating high quality protein from sources such as fish, chicken, red meat, turkey, nuts, tofu, dairy, lentils and eggs. Why? Simple. These foods do a fantastic job of filling you up so you're not tempted by choccy bars and the like when you're in need of a pick-me-up. They're doubly good if you're exercising a couple of times a week (and you should be!) thanks to the amino acids found in protein which help to keep you lean and your metabolism burning 24/7.
SMART SNACKS: We mentioned in step 1 that it's all about the calories and things like snacking are all but useless until you get you calorie intake under control. That's all true, but would you know what to do if you found your stomach rumbling at 3pm? It's important to be prepared and know how to handle a snack attack when the feeling sets in. As we also mentioned, snacks with protein are going to be our go-to weapons here but don't overlook things like complex carbohydrates and foods that contain high levels of fiber like berries and tomatoes. A combination of all three is best, so something like some cheese and turkey on a few wholegrain crackers with a handful of blueberries is perfect.
KEEP A RECORD: Last on our list of 5 steps is your accountability. Keeping track of your foods and your progress is so important and yet most people don't do it. It's easy to see why, though. It can be boring, tedious and time consuming. BUT, it can also serve as a motivational tool. Having something to look back on and see how far you've come and a record of how you achieved it is incredibly powerful. If you don't think you could handle carrying a pen and paper around with you all day, don't. With technology nowadays, there's so many great intuitive options to keep tabs on your progress. Use your ipad or fitbit and you'll have a meaningful way to assess your results and help you achieve them faster than ever.
SO, WHAT'S THE BEST DIET FOR WOMEN?
There are many diet plans and programs vying for the title of 'best diet for women', but which of them really live up to the hype? It's a tough question and depends on a number of factors including how much weight you want to lose, allergies, health implications, lifestyle and body composition - just to name a few.
A handful of diets have put their hands up as leading diet contenders for women. These include the Paleo diet, weight watchers, the Atkins diet and the raw food diet. All of these diets work on the same principle - reducing your overall calorie intake. The differences lie in how they do this. While the weight watchers diet applies a points-based system which encourages you to make healthier choices, the paleo diet does away completely with grains and carbohydrates. The result is a vastly different approach to achieve the same goal.
So, which is better? The simple answer is which ever one you're more likely to stick to. Yes, one diet might be more appealing based on it's nutritional profile, but if you're not happy with your diet plan, the chances of it becoming a long-term eating lifestyle decrease dramatically. And that's the problem with most diets. They're just not sustainable. A great example is the grapefruit diet. Thousands of women every year try this diet. Do they lose weight? Absolutely. But the results never last and more often than not they end up piling all of the weight they lost back on - sometimes even more. With this practicality in mind, lets examine some of the key factors that go into creating the best diet for women.
BATTLE OF THE SEXES: One of the biggest diet factors is the genetic and individual differences between men and women. Do different diets work better for certain genders? Research seems to indicate that this is indeed the case. One of the most striking differences is found in calorie consumption. While women typically require fewer calories to maintain or lose weight, they do have different nutritional requirements. Women require greater quantities of iron and calcium compared to men to offset health issues including osteoporosis and during periods of menstruation. In light of this, the Paleo diet has come under some criticism for it's dairy embargo, but counters this by saying calcium can be gained through consumption of leafy green vegetables, which it actively encourages.
EMOTIONAL NEEDS: There's research to suggest that the reason diet programs such as Jenny Craig are so successful is because of their supportive community atmosphere and their ability to hold you accountable during weekly weigh-in's. Women have different emotional needs from men and this ability to interact with others and feel part of a group can make be the difference that motivates you to keep going.
THE GOLDEN RULES: Regardless of which diet plan you choose, there are a handful of golden diet rules that cannot be overlooked or overwritten by new or current diet claims. First, reduce your intake of artificially produced, highly processed foods. This includes 'junk foods' which refer to foods which contain refined carbohydrates, high sugar content and offer little nutritional value to offset their often high kilo-joule content. This applies to drinks, too. Alcohol and soda are two of the worst offenders and should be limited to special occasions, not a regular staple of your diet. Instead, focus on eating high quality proteins, complex carbohydrates, plenty of fresh fruit and vegetables, sources of healthy fats and plenty of water. Do this and you really can't go wrong.
INDIVIDUAL DIFFERENCES: No two women are exactly the same, we're all different. It's this reason that most one-size-fits-all diet plans don't work. Try and test different plans until you find one that suits you. This is perhaps the most important factor and will ultimately determine whether you succeed or fail in your weight loss endeavors.
We've covered a lot in this article. I really like the diets for women at leanrunnerbean.com and prevention.com, so if you're looking for more information I highly recommend checking both of those sites out.
Too many women think you can outdo a bad diet with high levels of exercise, but unfortunately it's just not the case. Sure, you can lose weight with this approach, but if you really want the best results you need to provide your body with the right ingredients for the job. Losing fat is actually pretty simple, people just seem to get bogged-down in the details. Forget everything you thought you knew about fat loss and just follow these 10 simple steps.
IT'S ALL ABOUT THE CALORIES: You've probably heard advice like 'don't eat before bed' and 'make sure you eat every couple of hours' being tossed around forums and sites. There's nothing strictly wrong with these tips, but they tend to distract people away from the actual problem - total calorie intake. It may not best the healthiest approach, but if you ate your total calorie intake (calculated for weight loss) in one sitting, you would still lose weight despite not spreading your meals out or eating consistently through the day. The take home message here is make sure you are eating the correct number of calories based on your individual requirements before making adjustments. Use an online calorie tracker like myfitnesspal to make things easier.
THE PROBLEM WITH SUGAR: This is a biggie. I'm not going to spend time explaining what it is and where you find it - you already know that. I'm here to tell you that sugar is quite possibly the #1 reason why you're reading this article. Too much can seriously damage your body's ability to produce insulin and can contribute to massive fat gain. And the scary part is most people don't even know how much they're getting. It's not just the obvious choices either, like donuts and candy. It's hidden in things like yoghurt, tomato sauce and fruit drinks! My solution? Eat more 'real' whole foods. Stuff that grows in the ground and is found in nature. If you eat more of these raw foods, you won't need to worry (as much) about these hidden sugar-shockers.
THE POWER OF PROTEIN: OK, as we mentioned above, sugar is one of the main super-villains of the fat loss world. However, with every villain comes a superhero, one who fights against evil and restores truth and good in the world. Think of protein as your superhero in food form. If you've been paying attention to the newest (and not-so new) diets, you'll notice a common theme. The Paleo diet, the Atkins diet, the list goes on, they all advocate eating high quality protein from sources such as fish, chicken, red meat, turkey, nuts, tofu, dairy, lentils and eggs. Why? Simple. These foods do a fantastic job of filling you up so you're not tempted by choccy bars and the like when you're in need of a pick-me-up. They're doubly good if you're exercising a couple of times a week (and you should be!) thanks to the amino acids found in protein which help to keep you lean and your metabolism burning 24/7.
SMART SNACKS: We mentioned in step 1 that it's all about the calories and things like snacking are all but useless until you get you calorie intake under control. That's all true, but would you know what to do if you found your stomach rumbling at 3pm? It's important to be prepared and know how to handle a snack attack when the feeling sets in. As we also mentioned, snacks with protein are going to be our go-to weapons here but don't overlook things like complex carbohydrates and foods that contain high levels of fiber like berries and tomatoes. A combination of all three is best, so something like some cheese and turkey on a few wholegrain crackers with a handful of blueberries is perfect.
KEEP A RECORD: Last on our list of 5 steps is your accountability. Keeping track of your foods and your progress is so important and yet most people don't do it. It's easy to see why, though. It can be boring, tedious and time consuming. BUT, it can also serve as a motivational tool. Having something to look back on and see how far you've come and a record of how you achieved it is incredibly powerful. If you don't think you could handle carrying a pen and paper around with you all day, don't. With technology nowadays, there's so many great intuitive options to keep tabs on your progress. Use your ipad or fitbit and you'll have a meaningful way to assess your results and help you achieve them faster than ever.
SO, WHAT'S THE BEST DIET FOR WOMEN?
There are many diet plans and programs vying for the title of 'best diet for women', but which of them really live up to the hype? It's a tough question and depends on a number of factors including how much weight you want to lose, allergies, health implications, lifestyle and body composition - just to name a few.
A handful of diets have put their hands up as leading diet contenders for women. These include the Paleo diet, weight watchers, the Atkins diet and the raw food diet. All of these diets work on the same principle - reducing your overall calorie intake. The differences lie in how they do this. While the weight watchers diet applies a points-based system which encourages you to make healthier choices, the paleo diet does away completely with grains and carbohydrates. The result is a vastly different approach to achieve the same goal.
So, which is better? The simple answer is which ever one you're more likely to stick to. Yes, one diet might be more appealing based on it's nutritional profile, but if you're not happy with your diet plan, the chances of it becoming a long-term eating lifestyle decrease dramatically. And that's the problem with most diets. They're just not sustainable. A great example is the grapefruit diet. Thousands of women every year try this diet. Do they lose weight? Absolutely. But the results never last and more often than not they end up piling all of the weight they lost back on - sometimes even more. With this practicality in mind, lets examine some of the key factors that go into creating the best diet for women.
BATTLE OF THE SEXES: One of the biggest diet factors is the genetic and individual differences between men and women. Do different diets work better for certain genders? Research seems to indicate that this is indeed the case. One of the most striking differences is found in calorie consumption. While women typically require fewer calories to maintain or lose weight, they do have different nutritional requirements. Women require greater quantities of iron and calcium compared to men to offset health issues including osteoporosis and during periods of menstruation. In light of this, the Paleo diet has come under some criticism for it's dairy embargo, but counters this by saying calcium can be gained through consumption of leafy green vegetables, which it actively encourages.
EMOTIONAL NEEDS: There's research to suggest that the reason diet programs such as Jenny Craig are so successful is because of their supportive community atmosphere and their ability to hold you accountable during weekly weigh-in's. Women have different emotional needs from men and this ability to interact with others and feel part of a group can make be the difference that motivates you to keep going.
THE GOLDEN RULES: Regardless of which diet plan you choose, there are a handful of golden diet rules that cannot be overlooked or overwritten by new or current diet claims. First, reduce your intake of artificially produced, highly processed foods. This includes 'junk foods' which refer to foods which contain refined carbohydrates, high sugar content and offer little nutritional value to offset their often high kilo-joule content. This applies to drinks, too. Alcohol and soda are two of the worst offenders and should be limited to special occasions, not a regular staple of your diet. Instead, focus on eating high quality proteins, complex carbohydrates, plenty of fresh fruit and vegetables, sources of healthy fats and plenty of water. Do this and you really can't go wrong.
INDIVIDUAL DIFFERENCES: No two women are exactly the same, we're all different. It's this reason that most one-size-fits-all diet plans don't work. Try and test different plans until you find one that suits you. This is perhaps the most important factor and will ultimately determine whether you succeed or fail in your weight loss endeavors.
We've covered a lot in this article. I really like the diets for women at leanrunnerbean.com and prevention.com, so if you're looking for more information I highly recommend checking both of those sites out.